


The way you love me.

by foreveroptimist



Category: Neighbours (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:07:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23855107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foreveroptimist/pseuds/foreveroptimist
Relationships: Paul Robinson/Terese Willis
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	The way you love me.

"His best quality?"  
Paul looked at her. "What are you talking about?"  
Terese smiled, slightly embarrassed. Had she been talking out loud?  
She loved this time of night. Their own little ritual. Both curled up on the couch in this room at the back of the house, as the sun went down over their back yard. The warm summer breeze through the open doors, the smell of the roses from the garden tingled her nose, as did the scent of his aftershave. She closed her eyes, just for a brief moment, just to take it all in. She felt his hand on her thigh. His thumb rubbing lightly back and forth just beneath the edge of her dress. A thing that came so natural to him, like he didn`t even realise he was doing it. A touch of love, much like when she stroked her fingers over his neck, just above the collar of his shirt.  
"I`m just taking one of those tests", she said. "You know, to see if we`re compatible."  
Paul looked at her, and he gave her one of his cheeky smiles. The ones that he gave her, and only her.  
"Oh, I can show you right now, just how compatible we are!" he said, and she could feel her heart skip a beat, and her stomach was instantly filled with butterflies.

Why??? Why was it, that one cheeky smile from him, and a somewhat cheesy line would make her knees week and her cheeks red, like she was a schoolgirl with a crush. That childlike and cheeky smile, the one that brightened his face and made his eyes sparkle. A smile she could imagine had gotten him out of trouble many times when he was a kid.  
"I bet you can!", she said, "But I want to finish my test first!" The test wasn`t at all important, she just needed to regain some control. A grown woman, running a multimillion dollar company every day, loosing her cool just because her husband flirted with her. Would it always be like this between them? She hoped so.  
Paul closed the laptop in front of him and looked at her.  
"You!" he said. "You are my best quality!".  
He smiled as he closed his eyes and leaned back into her hand, while still gently stroking her thigh with his thumb.  
Terese looked at him. He seemed so peaceful, so relaxed, for the first time in a while. Lately life had thrown him one curveball after another, and she couldn`t help but wonder where he found his strength. Maybe that was his best quality. His strength. Paul had the ability to stand straight in a storm. To think clear when those around him were falling apart, to look for solutions when everyone else gave up, and to fight the wars people said couldn`t be won. Again and again he would pick up the pieces of broken relationships, and rebuild them. Brick by brick. Not everyone saw it, not everyone realised what it cost him, but she knew. She saw. And she loved him for it.

Yeah, he definitely made a wrong turn every now and then. He was an inpatient man, took shortcuts when he wanted fast results, but he did it out of love, and when it came to friends and family, the people who had earned a special place in his heart, he never expected anything in return. Terese held her breath for a moment, looked at him. She could have lost him just a few weeks ago, when he had gone back to the island to get Harlow. Worried about his granddaughter he had still been able to be there for Kyle and Toadie.  
After spending every minute by Harlows side at the hospital, the lack of sleep had made him so week he had hardly been able to stand up in the shower when she finally managed to talk him into spending a night at home, but the next morning he had still managed to be there for his granddaughter, as well as comforting both Kyle and Sheila. He too, knew what is was like loosing a son, and she could tell how worried he had been about her as well, knowing how all of this had brought up memories of loosing Josh. Yes, his strength was definitely his best quality.  
Or was it his integrity. She knew that not many people would say that Paul had integrity, but he did. Another thing, another side of himself, preserved for just a handful of people to know. She knew.  
He had taken Susan home earlier that day, after she had a breakdown in her car. He didn`t speak of it, even if it had caused yet another argument with Harlow. Terese had begged him to tell Harlow the truth, but he hadn`t. Out of respect for Susan. "Harlow being mad at me is part of her grieving process." He had said. "She needs to be mad at someone, and that may as well be me."  
Being there for Kyle and Sheila, little words of comfort, subtle but helpful. Saving Toadie. Going back to a burning island to save his family, friends and neighbours and driving Susan home. Never expecting a thank you, never really been given one either. That was integrity. Definitely one of his best qualities.

"Ummmh…don`t stop." Paul sighed.  
She looked at him. He was still leaning back. Eyes still closed. He moved his head just a bit, leaned into her hand. She realised she had let her mind wander and started stroking his neck again. He smiled, eyes still closed, while rubbing his thumb just a littler harder, and a little higher on her thigh. Terese closed her eyes too, just for a second, felt the warmth from his hand, inhaled the scent of his aftershave that lingered in the warm breeze that filled the room. "The way he touches me", she thought to herself. That is his best quality.  
Yes. Definitely the way he touched her. He had the warmest hands, her man. Oh, how he could drive her crazy with just the touch of his hands. The way he would gently strike his fingers over her shoulders, up to her neck, and then hold her head with both his hands as he deepened a kiss. As if he was afraid that she would pull back if he didn`t hold her. She never would. It was impossible to break free once he kissed her. His kisses were addictive. Firm lips, yet so soft. He tasted like dark chocolate and coffee. He tasted like Paul, like true love. Definitely addictive.  
The way he held her when she stood on her toes, barefoot in the mornings, before getting dressed. When she would walk over to him after her shower, wrapped in a towel, arms around his neck, nuzzling her nose behind his ear, playfully biting lightly her favourite spot where his jaw and neck connected, kissing his neck, his jaw, his lips. How he would hold her so tight, and kiss her passionately back, almost as if he was leaving his mark on her. Proving that she was his woman, and his only. How many times had that morning kiss turned into something more? How many times had they ended up back in bed, making love just as the first rays of sun made the morning light dance trough the curtains of their bedroom window. And still, by lunch time, she found herself missing him already.  
The way he held her at night. That could easily be his best quality. The way he always curled up behind her, skin to skin. One arm around her, holding hands. How he would always bury his head in her shoulder, planting a gentle kiss there before he took a deep breath, almost as he inhaled her. She loved that. Playing with her hair and gently touching her cheek when they laid face to face in the dark, talking about their plans, their future, their dreams, and their past. Sharing secrets, laughter and tears. Him not being afraid to show her his vulnerable side.  
Could that be his best quality? His vulnerability? Terese looked over at her husband again. The lines around his eyes, the grey streaks in his hair, the faded scar on his chin. All little signs of a lived life. Signs of decisions made. Not always good ones, but he had payed for them. Signs of happiness and sorrows. Signs of broken dreams and victories. Signs of vulnerability, only shown to her. He was such a proud man, but he was never afraid to let his guard down with her. Just like she was never afraid to fall apart in his arms. Honesty. He always had her back, he always believed in her. Like after David's accident. He had looked at her and asked if she had hit his son. She said no, and he believed her. Just like that. Pure trust. Pure love. Because that was the way he loved her. Honestly. Fully. Deeply. Wholeheartedly.  
She looked over at him again. He opened his eyes. Smiled. Looked tired, tired but happy.  
"What?", he said, as he could see she was thinking about something.  
"The way you love me!" she answered. "That`s your best quality."


End file.
